Code Girls

The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II

Recruited by the U.S. Army and Navy from small towns and elite colleges, more than ten thousand women served as codebreakers during World War II. While their brothers and boyfriends took up arms, these women moved to Washington and learned the meticulous work of code-breaking. Their efforts shortened the war, saved countless lives, and gave them access to careers previously denied to them. A strict vow of secrecy nearly erased their efforts from history; now, through dazzling research and interviews with surviving code girls, bestselling author Liza Mundy brings to life this riveting and vital story of American courage, service, and scientific accomplishment.

US Navy recruits from university. Army forced to recruit teachers after Navy whined.
Highlighted office politics, living conditions & the influence on the war.
Totally surprised on Tony Randall's cameo.
The sad thing was that new generation of women had to fight the same old battles for workplace acceptance within the intelligence community in the 1980s & 1990s as most of the wartime female recruits got let go, got married & raised a family after the war.

A wonderfully researched documentation of the under-recognized story of the significant contribution of American women to the resolution of W.W. II. Numerous narratives of workplace misogyny detailed in dress code, housing, military code etc. of the 1940's persist.

The cracking of Enigma is a story that keeps on giving.
This one looks at a few of the 10,000 women who were recruited as codebreakers in the U.S.
I liked the technical explications and the bigger picture of the war effort.
Also finding about the personal details such as housing, office politics and their families adds a dimension to the story.
Very enjoyable and interesting reading.